With the decreasing availability of conventional fuel sources and the increasing costs of energy for space heating and cooling, it is extremely desirable to be able to construct buildings which use a minimum of energy for space heating and cooling. However, it is necessary to do so without excessively increasing the initial costs of the building.
In order to achieve increased energy efficiency, especially in relatively warm climates, it is necessary to give careful consideration to insulation, ventilation, air infiltration control, air conditioning, and hot water heating, and integrate all of the building components to take these factors into account.
According to the present invention, it is possible to construct a house, that is relatively speaking, little more expensive than conventional constructions, yet has fantastically reduced energy requirements for space heating and cooling, and water heating; about 1/2 the energy requirements for a conventional house, with an increase in construction costs of only approximately 5%. According to the present invention, it is possible to construct masonry block houses that have low energy requirements for space heating and cooling. In conventional masonry block houses, the attic is in fluid communication with a great deal of the interior living space of the house, air from the attic being capable of passing through the conventional insulation and through the interior walls and out through electrical plugs, wiring openings, lighting fixtures, and the like, and the air ducts are located in the attic which causes a large heat transfer into the attic (the ducts to a large extent heating or cooling the attic space) and causing sweating or damp spots during the summer. According to the present invention, such problems inherent in conventional buildings are eliminated by sealing the attic from the interior living space, running all of the electrical wiring and water pipes up through the floor instead of through the attic, and by mounting the ductwork within the interior living space.
Additionally, in conventional masonry construction, single furring strips are placed on the walls, interior partitions abut the walls directly, and electrical outlets are placed in holes formed in the walls. Such construction is extremely energy inefficient. According to the present invention, a much more efficient structure is provided by mounting the electrical outlets adjacent, but not in, the masonry block exterior walls, placing insulation between the interior partitions and the walls, and putting triple furring strips against the walls with insulation extending between the furring strips.
Also, according to the present invention, improved ventilation is provided in the attic by providing the roof with approximately an 8/12 pitch, providing a ridge vent on top of the roof, and providing vents in the roof overhang so that cool air is drawn up through the vents, passing through the attic, and exhausting out the ridge vents. Air conditioning is provided by two separate units, one of which is operational during normal load conditions, and the other which becomes operational only when the load conditions are excessive.
By practicing the present invention, it is possible to significantly increase ventilation and insulation while reducing air infiltration and minimizing hot water heating and air conditioning requirements so that energy usage for space heating and cooling can be cut in half with only a small increase in original construction costs. It is thus the primary object of the present invention to provide buildings with increased energy efficiency, and this and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.